Life

By: Keith Richards, James Fox

Narrated by: Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley

Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The long-awaited autobiography of Keith Richards, guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones.

With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever.

With his trademark disarming honesty, Keith Richard brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Keith Richards (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] high-def, high-velocity portrait of the era when rock 'n' roll came of age, a raw report from deep inside the counterculture maelstrom of how that music swept like a tsunami over Britain and the United States....Mr. Richards has found a way to channel to the reader his own avidity, his own deep soul hunger for music and to make us feel the connections that bind one generation of musicians to another. Along the way he even manages to communicate something of that magic, electromagnetic experience of playing on stage with his mates, be it in a little club or a huge stadium." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"[A] slurry romp through the life of a man who knew every pleasure, denied himself nothing, and never paid the price." (David Remnick, The New Yorker)

"A vivid self-portrait and, of the Stones and their musical era, a grand group portrait....spellbinding storytelling." (Richard Corliss, Time)

Enhance this

Where does Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top listen, entertaining and fascinating

Who was your favorite character and why?

the music and the various musicians

Have you listened to any of Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mr. Depp has a bad listening cadence on 2x speed. otherwise it was fine.

Any additional comments?

The audio version should come enhanced with musical excerpts and samples. the evolution of the music was fascinating and would be nice to have had it included.

Interesting

Wish they would have had one person read the entire book. Interesting all the same.

KR is as Tough as He Sounds

A hard scrabble childhood amalgamated after getting to attend a post-secondary arts school that shaped the trejectory of his career & life. I have never read a book where someone gets expunged from so many illegal charges crossing multiple state & country boarders. He traveled with so much heroin & coke, the law always thought he was a trafficker, but of course, he was not. His luck is fortuitous and he should of died long ago. Hail Keith!!

Great read

Fun, fascinating read about Keith's life. It's a long listen but worth it as he has so many interesting stories.

Too much of the same over and over and over

I wanted to like this way more than I did. He just romanticized the use of hard drugs way too much for me to be comfortable with.

Keith is not the Jerk I always assumed he was

Great book. Johnny Depp is not the best reader but he fits as "Keith's Voice". Learned you can't judge a book by its cover as they say. Keith is deeper, more interesting, and more of a character than I ever thought.

One sided view of a long career

Well done. But this is a one sided view of the Stones. Staying stoned for most of the Stones' career and then being pissed that Mick basically took over the running of the show seems to be the ending thought. I would have thought that Keith would have been a bit more grateful that Mick kept it going so Keith could have the money to stay stoned. Then again it might have been a disfavor in a sense. But the Stones separately don't do well. They have to be together to be prolific. Interesting stuff about guitar riffs though.

good

it was cool to hear about the small things like the pure cocaine and his love for dogs. World travels and owning homes around the world. and distaste for the Authority.

Life by Keith Richards

Such an exciting life he lead. Great story, great performances, great glimpses into a world that most of us don't know.

Excellent book-title is appropriate

Keith doesn’t hold back details of his life! It’s amazing to live vicariously through the rock and roll lifestyle. Highly recommend this book.